Rajkummar Rao to feature in Raj Kumar Gupta’s thriller

Director Raj Kumar Gupta is set to be back on the scene after three years with a thriller, which reports say, is likely to feature Rajkummar Rao in the lead role.

It was three years ago that his suspense comic caper, ‘Ghanchakkar’ (2013), came out, and writer-director Gupta has been on hiatus ever since. But now, according to a various reports Gupta who made an impact in 2008 with Hansal Mehta’s ‘Aamir’ (2008), which was shot on a tiny  budget in guerrilla style on the streets of Mumbai, should be back this year with another thriller. And this time, Gupta might have found his star lead, reports DNA India.

A source says, “Raj Kumar Gupta has been in talks with Rajkummar Rao for months. They have been meaning to do something interesting and if things work out, he could well play the lead. It’s the story of a girl and a boy and has all the ingredients of a taut thriller: love, drama, deceit. The film could kick off towards the middle of the year and will be shot in Mumbai and Dubai.” Gupta had returned to the screen with ‘No One Killed Jessica’ (2011), based on the true story of the murder of model Jessica Lal and the controversial trial that followed. The film, featuring Rani Mukerjee and Vidya Balan, won him many accolades.

After ‘Ghanchakkar,’ Gupta had been working on ‘Section 84’ which deals with Section 84 of the Indian Penal Code, which states: “Nothing is an offence which is done by a person who, at the time of doing it, by reason of unsoundness of mind, is incapable of knowing the nature of the act, or that he is doing what is wrong or contrary to law.” Kareena Kapoor had consented to play the protagonist, a schizophrenic who finds herself at the centre of a crime after she steps out of an asylum. In an interview regarding ‘Section 84,’ Gupta had said, “The film is inspired by a real-life incident. We start shooting in mid-April.” However, the shoot was subsequently pushed to August last year before Kapoor opted out.

Time will tell when ‘Section 84’ picks back up again. But in the meantime the Industry welcomes Gupta back into the spotlight.

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